yasinovel Chapter 50 A Small Gathering
Chapter 50 A Small Gathering
Over the next few days, Chen Luo spent his time adjusting to his drastically changed body.
Since the Lion Bone Powder only lasts for three months, and its efficacy will greatly decrease after three months, he must adapt as soon as possible and then take the next bottle of medicine, finishing all the Lion Bone Powder within the time limit.
It wasn't until the fourth day that Chen Luo felt he had almost adapted to the changes in his body. After taking a bath and changing his clothes, he took the second bottle of Lion Bone Powder. Then, following Huang Mingyuan's instructions, he activated the Lion Bone Spiritual Pivot Technique to transform the powder in his abdomen into pure energy, which circulated throughout his limbs and bones.
[Lion Bone Spiritual Pivot Formula: 12/100]
Half an hour later, Chen Luo opened his eyes, saw the progress panel, and moved his limbs. His first feeling was excitement, but then he felt a little helpless amidst the excitement.
The excitement stemmed from the fact that while this improvement in physical strength wasn't as transformative as the first, the benefits brought by the powerful effects of Lion Bone Powder were just as significant.
If the initial cultivation of medicinal techniques is like allowing rotten wood to sprout new buds and grow into fine timber, it represents a qualitative improvement.
The second medicinal refining process allows the fine material to grow even stronger and more robust, with a deeper foundation, representing a significant quantitative change following a qualitative transformation.
Chen Luoneng foresaw that with such quantitative changes, a new qualitative change would inevitably occur, and he would be able to undergo a further transformation.
As for his helplessness, it was because after he finished taking the second bottle of Lion Bone Powder, when he was practicing the Nine Yang Strength, he found that his body, which he had finally become familiar with, had a stiff and sluggish feeling again, and his body felt unfamiliar again.
Chen Luo summoned the progress panel with some helplessness: [Nine Yang Strength (Minor Success): 125/300].
"I've neglected one thing for another," he sighed.
Although he would diligently practice the Nine Yang Strength after cultivating the medicinal method to adapt to the changes in his body, the sluggishness and stiffness in his fists and feet made it difficult to improve the Nine Yang Strength.
This means that although his physical strength has improved, the progress of his Nine Yang Strength will inevitably slow down.
The improvement of the foundation represented by muscles and bones will inevitably make martial arts training twice as effective with half the effort.
As a result, the two actually clashed within a short period of time.
"Muscles and bones are more important." Chen Luo thought for a moment and was forced to make a choice.
There was no other way. On the one hand, the effects of Lion Bone Powder would dissipate within three months, which was a time limit, so the cultivation of medicinal techniques was undoubtedly more urgent.
On the other hand, tendons and bones represent the foundation. The saying goes, "lay the foundation before building the house," meaning that you should improve your tendons and bones before practicing martial arts.
Thus, he had no choice but to temporarily halt his progress in mastering the Nine Yang Strength, and instead calmly and patiently re-familiarize himself with his body, which had become increasingly unfamiliar due to the effects of the Lion Bone Powder, through repeated practice.
Thus, maintaining a pace of one bottle of Lion Bone Powder every four days, he spent the rest of his time cycling through medicinal cultivation and adapting to his body.
After finishing the sixth bottle of Lion Bone Powder, half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
[Lion Bone Spiritual Pivot Technique: 36/100] The Lion Bone Spiritual Pivot Technique has also reached 36 points, increasing by 6 points for each bottle.
That day, Chen Luo did not practice the Nine Yang Force in the courtyard, but instead walked out of Licheng Martial Arts School.
Lu Qun came looking for him last night. He thought something had happened in Linzhou, but Lu Qun said it was because they hadn't seen each other for a long time and invited him to a small gathering at Hongfutang today. Zhou Xiaoliang would also be there.
Chen Luo readily agreed.
Since arriving at Licheng Martial Arts Academy, he has been either practicing martial arts or taking medicine every day and has never gone out. His days have been rather dull, so he decided to go out for some fresh air.
Instead of taking a carriage, Chen Luo walked to Hongfutang and went up to the second floor, where Lu Qun and Zhou Xiaoliang had already arrived.
He hadn't seen the two brothers for almost a month. When he saw them again, Lu Qun was alright; he hadn't changed much, except that he was wearing a new black linen outfit, which, combined with his already deep-set features, made him look quite dashing.
However, Zhou Xiaoliang was different. Due to what happened on the back mountain last time, the two had not seen each other for nearly two months to avoid suspicion.
When they met again today, Chen Luo noticed that he had changed. He used to have a square face, which made him look friendly when he smiled and composed when he didn't. But now, even when he smiled, there was a sharp edge between his brows and eyes.
"The mutton soup is here!" The waiter brought over a plate of soup, put it down, and wiped his hempen clothes with his hand. "The dishes are all served, you two..." He saw Chen Luo walking over and changed his address, "Please enjoy your meal, all three of you."
Chen Luo nodded to the waiter and waited for him to leave before taking his seat. The three of them smiled at each other across the rising steam from the mutton soup.
Without exchanging pleasantries, Zhou Xiaoliang glanced around to make sure no one was watching before saying, "There hasn't been much news from Nanshan lately. The hunters on the list who went up the mountain that day have all been questioned by people from the county government. They even suspected that some people had smuggled themselves up the mountain, and they've questioned me and the other guards on duty at the mountain passes several times, but to no avail."
Lu Qun also said, "I've also inquired about it. The funerals for Long Zicheng and Linzhou have been completed one after another, so this matter should be considered over."
"As for the father of that Qingyun Martial Arts School in Linzhou, Ah Qun and I have inquired about him from afar, but we didn't dare to get too close and didn't get any useful information," Zhou Xiaoliang added.
"I understand." Chen Luo nodded, feeling a slight sense of relief.
It seems that the deaths of Lin Zhou and Long Zicheng are unlikely to be attributed to him. What he needs to worry about most right now is the fourth person who might have been in the back mountain that day. However, this matter may involve inner realm martial artists, so he will not tell Zhou Xiaoliang and Lu Qun.
"Let me tell you, this kid's really something now." After exchanging information, the three of them became more lively. Lu Qun pointed at Zhou Xiaoliang and clicked his tongue first, saying, "He's been learning some combat skills at the Mountain Guard lately, and after he finished learning, he even came to the Martial Arts Academy to spar with me and show off."
Zhou Xiaoliang chuckled.
Chen Luo smiled too, "So who won?"
"Of course it's him." Lu Qun curled his lip. "He learned combat skills at the Mountain Guard Command. How could I possibly beat him?"
"No wonder you seemed fiercer when I looked at you just now." Chen Luo looked at Zhou Xiaoliang, understanding dawning on his mind.
In Qingshan County, both private and charitable schools only focus on practicing the Nine Yang Force, but do not teach their disciples how to fight. This is because martial arts practitioners are prone to fighting and being aggressive, and this is largely to maintain order within the martial arts school.
Only by leaving the martial arts academy and becoming an apprentice at the Mountain Guard or Qingyun Martial Arts School, or by finding a martial artist to learn real combat skills, can one acquire true practical combat techniques.
It's likely that Zhou Xiaoliang learned some life-or-death combat techniques at the Mountain Guard Command, which is why his temperament changed in this way.
Chen Luo had never actually learned this skill; he was able to kill Ji Guan Hong and Lin Zhou entirely by relying on the powerful reflexes granted by his vertical pupils.
Zhou Xiaoliang grinned, "Isn't this to train A-Qun?"
"If you're so capable, why don't you spar with A Luo?" Lu Qun glared at Zhou Xiaoliang. "Give A Luo a chance to train too?"
"I wouldn't dare." Zhou Xiaoliang shook his head repeatedly. He knew that Chen Luo had killed two private school disciples with the fourth or fifth level of strength in the back mountain. There was no way he could beat him.
Looking at Chen Luo, he remembered something else and hesitated for a moment, "By the way, Luo, do you know about Song Ruokui?"